Majors at Harlaxton Visit Flag Fen

UE Archaeology and Art History majors spending the spring 2012 semester abroad at Harlaxton, UE's campus in England, visited the site of Flag Fen last week with their British Prehistory instructor, Archaeology and Art History alumna Hilary Wolkan ('09) last week.  Major Marley R. (who took these photos) reports that the trip was very interesting and more field trips are planned this semester.

Hilary at Flag Fen.

Sam, Shannon, Dorothy, Emily and Kayla at Flag Fen.

Sarah B. talks about her trip to Paris

During my time at Harlaxton, I've had the chance to go to several exciting places. Just a few of them include London, Bath, Edinburgh, Paris, Barcelona and Dublin. I've enjoyed visiting all of these places, but so far one of my favorite places to explore has been Paris. There were so many beautiful parts of the city to see. I really enjoyed seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe and, of course, Notre Dame. All were very impressive and breathtaking. I must admit it was a little surreal being able to see these buildings and monuments, which I've learned so much about, in person.

I think my favorite part of the trip was going to see the Palace of Versailles. It was more gorgeous that I could have imagined. There were chandeliers and gold everywhere, and the gardens, while not in full bloom, were still absolutely beautiful. They were also a little confusing, however, and we got turned around several times! Through the gardens are the Grand and Petit Trianons which were occupied by Marie Antoinette before the French Revolution. These were probably my favorite buildings to see. Two words: pink marble. All in all it was a fantastic trip with great sights and wonderful food...fantastic desserts and lots of bread (people just carry it around with them; it's amazing). I would highly recommend a trip to Paris, the City of Love!

Megan A. talks about her trip to Malta

Junior Megan A. is studying at Harlaxton this semester; this is a report on some of her travels.


Megan at the Blue Grotto, Malta.



Megan in Mdina, Malta.

 While studying abroad at Harlaxton, I've had so many amazing opportunities and experiences. I've been to Barcelona, Spain to see the Sagrada Familia, Scotland to see Edinburgh Castle, and I’ve visited sites all around England, but my favorite trip so far has been to Malta. With the highest concentration of UNESCO World Heritage sites anywhere in the world, it's like a giant open-air museum. I saw everything from the oldest standing structures on earth (the Neolithic temples) to Christian catacombs, to the Medieval City.

Occupying a strategic place in the Mediterranean, Malta has been occupied by many different peoples and each one left a unique mark on their culture. Multicolored boats float on the crystal clear water, citadels and fortresses rise up out of the cities, and their rich food reflects the diversity that has made them what they are today. If you're ever puttering around Europe and need something to do, I highly recommend a visit to Malta!



Emma D. reports on her trip to Paris

Junior Archaeology major Emma D. is at Harlaxton this semester, and this is a report on her travels in France.

The first night in Paris, some friends and I decided to get some bread and wine since it seemed fitting. We had wanted to walk down by the river but we couldn’t find the river at first; as we were walking behind this building, Luke said, “This building looks important; let’s find it on the map." The building we were standing behind was the Louvre! As we were about to cross the street, we all stopped and looked up, and what did I see but the Eiffel Tower in all its glory, with thousands of sparkling lights and a spot light on the top. Well, it took two hours to actually make it to the base of the Eiffel Tower, but it was amazing. I’m so glad we went to see it that first night, as it made us feel that we were really in Paris!

The next day we went to Notre Dame, where I took a picture of every stained glass window. The entire time I was there I was singing "God Bless the Outcasts" from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. After that, we walked across the River Seine, saw scuba divers, and made our way to the Louvre. We had been walking around the Louvre for about three hours when, suddenly we walked down some stairs and there was this large stone wall in front of us: a moat wall. I couldn’t believe that the Louvre has a moat! The History Museum in Houston has nothing on the Louvre.

The next day, Sarah and I went to the Chateatu de Versailles and it was amazing! Every room was better than the last and it was all simply gorgeous. I could have spent years there; I took a photo of every room. We walked around the gardens for a couple of hours and, although nothing was blooming yet, it was still magnificent. After the gardens we walked to the Grand Trianon, which is made of pink marble. After that, we saw the Petit Trianon, which had been made for Marie Antoinette. There was even a Love Temple.

The next day we walked to the Sacred Heart Cathedral and down the Champs Elysees towards the Arc de Triomphe, which was amazing! It was fascinating to imagine all the famous people who had walked or driven down the Champs Elysees. I walked in the footsteps of Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Churchill, de Gaulle, and even Hitler. After that we went back to the Eiffel Tower and started the climb up, except when we reached the second level we had to buy tickets to reach the top and there was a two- hour wait, and the ticket booth would not be open for another two hours. So we decided to wait until it started to rain, and then we made a hasty exit. But we still got drenched …

All in all, my trip was amazing and I love Paris!

Rachel L. talk about her semester at Harlaxton

Ten Archaeology and Art History majors are studying at Harlaxton College in the spring 2011 semester. Here junior Archaeology major Rachel L. talks about her experiences.

Harlaxton has been a truly wonderful experience. It’s an adventure, full of exploration and challenges. Travelling taught me to stand on my own more so than I do, because if something goes wrong, you have to know exactly what your next plan of action is.


Rachel with Boudicca’s monument in London.

London is my favorite place so far, although I’m guessing my upcoming visit to Rome will change that. There is so much to see and do in London that it was a bit difficult to see it all in a few days. All of the places I’ve seen have been great, and I’ve had the chance to see Hadrian’s Wall in Scotland, the Catacombs of Paris, the alleged location of King Arthur’s grave, Stonehenge, walk along medieval walls, drink liquid chocolate straight from the vat at Cadbury World, and loads more. It has been incredible to see and, in some cases, touch what I’ve learned about. It will be sad to see this experience end, but I can promise you that I am returning to England.

Rachel at Stonehenge.

Archaeology and Art History Majors at Harlaxton

Ten Archaeology and Art History majors are studying at Harlaxton this semester!  Enjoy some pictures of students at taken at Harlaxton and in London, York and Barcelona.


Rachel, Megan, Sarah, Emma, Mike, Abigail, Kelly and Josephine at Harlaxton





Emma, Megan and Lizzie in Barcelona.



Emma, Lizzie and Sarah in Barcelona.



Sarah and Megan at York.



Mike and Rachel at the Victorial Memorial in London.

Glad everyone is having a good time!